Event

We congratulate students from Portland’s Parkrose High School for claiming both 1st and 2nd prizes for videos entered into the O[yes] video contest! The goal of this annual video contest, organized by O[yes] – the Oregon Young Employee Safety Coalition – is to inspire teens to stay safe at work with the theme of “Speak up. Work safe.” Videos, produced by Oregon high school students, are judged on creativity, production value, youth appeal, and overall … Read More

Each year, high school students are invited to conduct research as interns under the close guidance of Institute faculty. High schooler Stuti Garg conducted research in the laboratory of Amanda McCullough and Stephen Lloyd, and presented her work at the 2016 Northwest Science Expo. And the result – Stuti’s work was selected for a finalist position at the Intel International Science & Engineering Fair (ISEF)! Here is what Stuti says about her experience: This past year, I had the incredible opportunity to … Read More

Pesticides are a commonly used tool for the control of a variety of pests, including weeds, bacteria, insects, rodents and molds, and represent a potential health risk to those who use them. Oregon OSHA is actively involved in ensuring that safe work practices with pesticides are followed, and provides a variety of educational and consultation services in this regard. Last week, Oregon OSHA sponsored the 2016 Oregon Pesticide Symposium, which was held March 15-16 at the Chemeketa … Read More

It is easy to take for granted the access to clean and safe water that we all enjoy. But without the experts who design, construct, operate and manage the utilities that provide our water, this luxury would not exist. This week, I had the privilege of addressing our regional water professionals at the 32nd annual American Water Works Association (AWWA) Pacific Northwest Section Cascade to Coast Short School, held March 13-16 at the Valley River … Read More

A favorite activity for those of us active in outreach at Occupational Health Sciences is catching up with our stakeholders at events. This spring has been active – and certainly we have heard a recurring theme. There continue to be great career opportunities for those moving into the trades! And as those new to the trades take on new jobs – it continues to be important for us to help discover effective ways to deliver … Read More

OR-FACE published a new hazard alert, “Follow manufacturer’s instructions.” The document summarizes three Oregon construction fatal stories. Common to the three cases was failure to follow manufacturer’s instructions: Case 1: A pile was held in a vertical position with the bottom of the pile resting on the ground. The clamp holding the top of the pile unexpectedly released. The pile was not rigged to the clamp housing or attached to the whipline. It fell on the crane … Read More

Potentially unsafe levels of arsenic and cadmium have been detected in the air of Southeast Portland. The primary source was been localized to a glass production facility that has operated there for ~40 years. They have since terminated use of these metals in their process, so there is no current risk of continued airborne exposure from this source. A similar finding has been localized to a glass production facility in North Portland, who has also … Read More

OR-FACE has published Fatality Investigation Report, “Crane operator killed by falling steel beam.” A 40-year old crane operator was killed when a clamp holding the top of the 35-foot, 5600 lb H-beam pile unexpectedly released the pile. The pile was not rigged to the clamp housing or attached to the crane whip line, fell striking the crane cab. For the complete report or other fatality investigation reports go to the OR-FACE website. Based on discussions about … Read More

In 2015, Asian gypsy moths (AGM), a plant-eating invasive species, were detected in Portland’s Forest Park and northern part of the St Johns neighborhood. The moths were found during routine monitoring in traps placed throughout the region by the Oregon Department of Agriculture. A related species, the European gypsy moth (EGM), was also found. EGM is endemic to the northeastern United States, has defoliated millions of acres of trees and shrubs, and since the late … Read More

Oregon’s Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI) Apprenticeship & Training Division ODOT-BOLI Highway Construction Workforce Development Program “Promoting opportunities in Oregon’s highway construction trades” is a partnership to expand opportunities for diversity in employment, increase apprenticeship participation and increase training resources for individuals interested in highway construction careers throughout the State of Oregon. The Program held it’s quarterly vendor meeting at the Northwest College of Construction last week. The meeting is pictured below. Vendors described available grants, loans at … Read More